Mole-trap



(No Model.)

W. N. WHERRY. MOLE TRAP.

No. 540,475. Patented June 4, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM N. \VHERRY, OF PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN.

MOLE-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,475, dated June 4, 1895.

Application filed March 26,1895.

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM N. WHERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plymouth, in the countyof Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mole-Traps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Theinvention relates to the construction of mole traps, and particularly in the trigger and its controlling lever, whereby the device is more easily set and is rendered more certain in operation and the construction simplified.

'lhisinvention is an improvement upon my Patent No. 393,048, of November 20, 1888, and is intended to overcome the objections which exist in that trap as therein shown and described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a detached perspective view showing the plunger as in the act of being sprung. Fig. 3 is a vertical section.

In the trap shown in my patent referred to it is required to set it that the operator shall first pull up the plunger and then while holding it up against the tension of the spring, engage the detent lever with the trigger, and as the springs for these traps are quite strong, this operation makes it somewhat inconvenient to set the trap, besides renderingit so mewhat uncertain of operation. I overcome these objections by the construction herein shown.

A is the frame or standard which holds the spring actuated plunger B, this plunger sliding in verticalguides O in the ends of the lateral offsets D. The standard at itslower end is engaged in a vertical socket E in the foot F. This foot is provided with the pointed pin G adapted to be forced into the ground and the arm II at right angles thereto at the top adapted to rest upon-the top of the ground, when the device is in position as shown in Fig. 1. The plunger at its lower end is provided with a cross-head I and on the under face of the cross-head are the pointed pins .I.

K is a trigger substantially plate shaped and having the arm L extending centrally therefrom, across the top of the foot, as shown.

This arm is pivoted in the offset M thereof on Serial No. 543,237. (No model,

a pivot pin N, which enters the lower portion of the socket E, and is provided near its end with a notch or shoulder O. at the end of the plate is adapted to strike the front face Q of the foot to prevent the trigger from falling but slightly below the horizontal position.

R is a detent lever adapted to engage with its lower end behind the shoulder O of the trigger and. at its upper end provided with the offset R in which is a horizontal slot S in which engages the pin T on the side of the standard.

U is a log on the end of the offset R with which the end of a spring U engages, this spring being coiled about a screw or pin V on the standard and having the tension arm V above the same as shown.

IV is a stop pin on the inner end of the offset R.

The parts being thus constructed in order to set the trap, the operator drives the pin G into the ground in the desired relation to the mole track and then engages the lever B with the shoulder O of the trigger. Now drawing up the plunger 13 the cross-head will strike the inner face of the lever which is forced inward by the tension of the spring U and will move the upper end of that lever laterallyinto the position shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the plunger has been drawn above the end of the lever, the spring will force it inward and bebeath the cross-head, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and thus hold it in its operating position. Now, as is well known when the mole passes beneath the trigger in raising the earth the trigger will be lifted, the spring will quickly actuate the plunger and the points J will penetrate the mole. In going down the lever B will be turned as shown in Fig. 2, but its motion about the pivot will be limited by the stop IV, which holds it in proper position for re-setting. Thus, I have practically a self-settin g plunger for this trap, which is easily set by anyone having strength enough to draw the plunger up against the tension of the spring which is certain of operation.

"What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a mole trap, the combination of the standard, the spring actuated plunger, a horizontal trigger at the bottom of the standard, a detent to hold the plunger comprising a head The shoulderP V acting on the head to hold it in its inner position, and the stop W to limit the movement of the lever, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM N. WI-IERRY. Witnesses:

M. B. ODOGHERTY, O. F. BARTHEL. 

